Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector
photo by: Screen capture by Kansas Reflector
Rachel Monger, representing LeadingAge Kansas, said it was essential, for the 2021 Legislature to grant adult care facilities immunity from COVID-19 lawsuits retroactive to March 2020 to create equity with hospitals and clinics provided that protection in terms of the pandemic.
TOPEKA Long-term care lobbyist Rachel Monger is convinced the Kansas law passed less than a year ago to limit civil liability of nursing homes during the pandemic fell far short.
Monger, speaking on behalf of LeadingAge Kansas’ 20,000 employees serving more than 25,000 older Kansans, said the affirmative-defense shield put in place during a special legislative session left facilities open to legal attacks. She said the compromise reached by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the Republican-led Legislature amounted to “demoralizing punishment” for nursing homes caring for seniors during the public health crisis. It’s essenti